The Devil Within
by savedby8
Summary: Springtrap has been auctioned off as scrap metal. The predator inside is still very much alive and hungers. When Alex and Isabella bring home the decayed rabbit for parts, they don't realize they've changed their lives forever. A dance with the devil only has room for two, and never ends well. Rated M for dark themes, death, violence.
1. Chapter 1

She tried to resist. She was clawing franticly at his unyielding fingers. It was not enough. She was not enough. His hand wrapped around the width of her neck effortlessly and they made eye contact. Her brown eyes pleaded desperately for mercy, for salvation. Her gaze was met with his own steely indifference. He was not moved by her plight for survival; his grip did not slack. Instead, he slowly began to twist his wrist to the side, bending her neck. She whimpered in pain.

The sound jolted through his body, and he tilted his head to the side to examine her. Sweat beaded on her forehead and damped her hair. She was weak with exhaustion but still tried to fight. She was but a shell of a true living being, something to be thrown away. He grew irked; she was his prize but she wasn't worth the hunt. She was not enough.

Bored, he continued to bend her neck until…

 _ **Snap**_.

There.

Her movement ceased. Her stare continued, only now, it was through him. It was not enough.

He reveled in what small glimmers of glory her unremarkable kill could provide, examining her lifeless body and all-knowing eyes. He sighed, his shoulders slouching. He turned towards the office desk and opened the top drawer. He pulled out a pen and a wrinkled piece of paper. Uncrumpling the paper and smoothing it out, he thought about what to say. His ear twitched in thought and after a few moments, he found a fitting note. His hands shook in effort of such a delicate task as writing.

Carefully and deliberately, he wrote:

"Another one. But more life, more fire, more reward."

He tossed the note on the dead girl's body and left the room without a second glance. He trudged to the back of his domain, to the darkest corner. The light was mute here, almost like it avoided it. It avoided his throne. Apathetically, he sighed, and sunk into the darkness, sitting on the floor.

They would find her - whatever her name was, it eluded him. They would be angry. They would try to hurt him again, but they had already forcefully removed that body from his insides, what more could they do? They would do what he said. They would search the herd for the softest, smartest lamb they could find. And they would bring that lamb to him; to the snarling, raging wolf with the blood-stained fur and snapping jaws.

He hoped for a better hunt. He tried to sleep through his annoyance and cravings, although he found it difficult.

In the morning, the cleaning crew came. He heard them fighting to open the door, and the pitter-patter of feet and then what he was waiting for: Gasps of horror and profanities littering the air. They didn't even check the girl for signs of life, they made a straight bee line for him.

Springtrap scoffed and shook his head; and he was considered the only monster here?

They were approaching quickly and he braced himself for the onslaught of questions.

"What the fuck is your problem Springtrap?!" a voice boomed as it rounded the corner. Springtrap simply looked up at the door where the man would soon be appearing.

Sure enough, a group of 3 men gathered in the doorway, all visibly angered and worried. Springtrap lowered his chin closer to his chest, maintained eye contact and opened and closed his jaw, acting dumbing.

"ANSWER ME." The man in the middle demanded, the stress of his job evident in his face. Springtrap tilted his head, taunting them with his immovable silence and apathetic attitude. He clicked his jaw once more.

The leader of the group went ballistic, his thinly veiled patience faltering and rage replacing it.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE JUST DONE? YOU'VE SIGNED THE FUCKING DEATH CERTIFICATE ON THIS COMPANY, YOU DERANGED FUCK."

The other two men instinctively shrunk away from the other, unconsciously trying to disassociate themselves with the threat. Springtrap's ear twitched. The hum of his grinding gears softly spread through the air before Springtrap's body rose. He was slow but sure footed and heavy. He rose from the dirty, aged tile floor and sized up the man. He stepped in front of him, the man now backing away from the 7-foot towering animatronic.

Springtrap sniffed the air, the predator inside on a very loose leash. His eyes slowly combed over the man once more, almost sexual and raw. They finally fell on the man's own eyes and Springtrap purred,

" _You'd make for a good hunt,"_ Springtrap glanced at his name tag _, "Paul. Large, well built. Lots of blood pumping in you, lots of blood you can lose."_

The blood drained from Paul's face. His throated seized and his tongue flapped in his mouth, unable to form clear words. Springtrap tilted his good ear towards Paul's face, taunting him again.

 _"Hm? Speak up, Paul, I can't hear you quite as well as I could before."_ Paul tried to shake away the fear and replace it with a mask of authority. He looked the robot in the eye, unflinching.

"I hope your sick fucking game was worth it. We will close after this, there's no doubt about it. The second murder in half a year? Oh yeah. You think life in this box is rough? Good luck with auctioneers. You will be scrap metal. Enjoy your last day of freedom, fuckface."

Paul turned away and headed out the doorway, the other two men following close behind. Springtrap chuckled darkly, a front no doubt, but inside anxiety dripped into his wiring. He was too old to be used in business, and not with a reputation like his. Was his addiction, his urges, to be his suicide? He didn't know. He turned to his now seemingly pathetic throne, taking the position for perhaps the last time. He could over hear Paul on the phone, going back and forth. In the last snippet of the conversation before the men left, Springtrap heard Paul say, "Yeah the fucking robot did it again. We need to pack up and leave town by tomorrow morning. Call Johnny so we can start dismantling shit."

. . . . .

Alexander took a long drag out of his cigarette. He exhaled the smoke out in the dry Arizona air. The Sun was screaming in the sky overhead, relentless and angry. He sighed, flicked the rest of the cig on the ground and crushed it with his foot. He walked back into the humble shed that he professed to be a workshop. All around were scattered half-done machines, flashes of inspiration that never saw the finish line. Alex hadn't completed any one machine in a long time. The only complete robot there was a little frog he built named Pete. He walked over to the sturdy work bench and leaned over it, looking at his latest blueprint. Pete greeted him by doing two back flips and ribbiting. He smiled at Pete, even though the action was motion activated, the greeting still felt genuine. Alex needed a sales pitch. He built robots targeting children and really needed the next one to hit it off with the right people and the right company. His next project was a humanoid wolf, he just needed the frame. To build an animatronic would be too time consuming and difficult from scratch, he needed to look for parts. Alex sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose.

Interrupting his stress, was the reason he kept building. Isabella.

Her olive skin was warm and smooth, her dark brown curls loosely falling like water down her shoulders. Her smile was welcoming and genuine. Her honey brown eyes had a light in them that no one could extinguish. She glided over to him, placing a hand affectionately on the small of his back and setting a plate in front of him. She made him a sandwich for lunch. Alex looked down at the sandwich and chuckled. He lifted the top slice of bread and peeked underneath. Sure enough, there was a smiley face painted in mustard on the bread. He shook his head and smiled, turning to his love.

"Thank you. I needed this." He said, pulling her closer and kissing her forehead.

"I figured as much." She smiled back at him and booped the tip of his nose with her finger. "And I have something else even better."

"Hm, what's that?"

Isabella backed up and pulled him by his hand. She threw her head back towards their car and smiled, "Come on."

Alex smiled and nodded, wiping his oil-stained hands on a rag and throwing it on the bench. He followed her and they piled into the car together.

The Arizona heat was threatening to burst their old Jeep into flames without warning. It was dry and piercing. The old Jeep kicked up dust as they drove further from the city more into the desert. Soon enough though, they reached a very familiar spot.

Bill's Junk and Salvage Yard.

They exited the car and Alex threw Isabella a questioning look. She brought one finger to her lips and smiled. They crossed the sand yard to the cramped 'office.' Isabella gave a light knock on the door and a huge, gruff looking man answered. His undershirt was stained with grease and oil and had some holes. His jeans were of similar condition and his face wasn't spared either.

"Hey Bill, why don't you show Alex his new project?" Isabella asked charmingly.

The intimating man smirked. "You're a lucky one, 'Lex, I'll tell you what. Come 'round back."

Alexander was still vastly confused but complied, traversing the junked cars and broken soda machines and old TV's to Bill's shed. He kept the most valuable/fixable things there. Isabella and Alexander stopped in front of the shed, while Bill walked inside and opened the door. While the door clinked and clicked from Bill, Isabella wrapped her hands around Alex's tricep and squeezed, clearly excited. Alex just grinned and rubbed her fingers. She was always doing little things like this, it was one of the reasons he fell in love with her to begin with. Finally, the door opened. Dust flew into the air, the cloud making it difficult to peer inside. Alex squinted his eyes in an effort to see. Eventually though, the dust settled and Alex's jaw dropped.

There it was.

A 7-foot-tall, decayed but salvageable animatronic rabbit. It's faded yellow fur was patched and rotten, and the ear was broken, but it was standing, which mean the endoskeleton was there. The structure of his project was right there, all he had to do was polish it. He turned to Isabella and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you so much, baby. This is incredible." He spoke into her hair. She hummed and hugged him back.

"Well come on, let's get him home." Bill and Alex loaded the robot into the back of the old Jeep, struggling to find a way to fit it in comfortably. Eventually they had to sit it crisscross in the back. Isabella assisted by opening the rear window so "the bunny could see the city."

Once they were home, Alex immediately wanted to see what he was dealing with. They got the bunny onto the bed dolly and wheeled it to the workshop. It sat slack on dolly, its leg flopped over the side and mouth ajar. It was pretty scary looking but with the right care, Alex was sure he could get it in working order. This was exactly what he needed.

 **Author's note: Hey guys! This is my second Springtrap story, I'm trying to get the feeling right for this one. Your feed back is much appreciated, it's what motivates me to keep the next chapter.** **J** **If you find any spelling/grammatical errors, please let me know.**


	2. Meeting

It was hard being this still for so long after being free and off-leash, but for the first time in a while, he didn't know what to do. The new voices had retreated long ago and had not returned for a few hours. Crickets were chirping outside. Springtrap was still anxious to reveal his consciousness. He twitched his ear, testing to see if someone was in the room. No response.

He plopped his hand on the dolly bed.

Nothing.

He opened his eyes, looking around the dusty shed he was being housed in. The moonlight trickled in just enough to allow him to make out the shapes, different machines and tools of all kinds. He got up sluggishly, his age painfully obvious. He groaned, his gears grinding.

Springtrap hissed internally. He reached his large hand under the rigid fabric of his stomach and clawed around. He managed to break off a few fragments of bone and dried blood that still remained after they removed that corpse. The spirit that tried to possess him departed long ago, but it changed him. He was lethal now; introduced to the lustful satisfaction of bloodshed. Yet, he constantly felt dirty. It was like he could still feel the body inside him rotting, and it made him want to hurl.

He stood up apprehensively. Something scurried in the darkness in response, making Springtrap jump. Two ribbits croaked into the air and Springtrap found the source of the noise, a small robotic frog. He walked over to the work bench and picked up the metal amphibian, palming it in his large hand. He brushed a thumb over it's small back and hummed, **"H-hello little one…"**

The frog jumped once more and Springtrap nodded in response, effectively deciding to spare the little bot from destruction, placing him back on the desk gently. Searching for a light source, the metal lapin ran his hand along the wall, feeling for a switch. Once found, a warm light washed over the room. The bulbs hummed upon activating and there was dust floating in the air. He was in a work shop. Springtrap glanced over the creations around him apathetically, none of them interesting, save for his little frog friend. He shrugged and turn towards the door, ready to leave this place behind. Ready to fall off the map in the eyes of these humans.

He turned off the light and pulled open the door. He was met with hot, dry air and dusty sand. Springtrap groaned; he would never be able to get out the red sand in his fur. He looked up and stopped dead in his tracks. He was expecting to be in a remote location and yet in front of him… was a house. He twitched his ear anxiously.

Oil faintly began slicking up his joint, the electricity inside him buzzing… He could hunt, if he so desired. No one was there to stop him. He looked around the fenced in yard he was standing in. A house to the left, another to the right. He sniffed the air in a large breath, so much flesh, so much sinful blood. He could slaughter the whole neighborhood by dawn, a deliciously large prize for the large rabbit. His hands were clinching fists and releasing, his knees weak with bloodlust, oil pooling in his mouth like salvia, his wide and flat rubber tongue panting in desire. He was like… No, he was a feral beast, uncaged and ready to plunder the town. And he would start with the stupid fools that bought him to begin with.

Carefully, he made his way to the back door. The house was two stories, and he assumed they were sleeping on the second. He needed to be quiet if he wanted to ensure his massacre could continue. He approached the door, finding it was only secured by the bottom, door knob lock. He twisted the knob until the door knob broke, allowing him entry. He slipped inside silently, looking around in the darkness for signs of life. The TV was on in the next room. Springtrap froze in place, listening. Surely, the person heard him break the door.

.

.

.

.

Nothing, there was no reaction. Springtrap took a step forward hesistantly, just far enough to see the person on the sofa. They were laying down, snoring softly. Asleep.

Springtrap almost moaned in response, his excitement as a predator climbing. This person has no idea what was coming, they had no idea what they brought home. Their stupidity was something Springtrap indulged in, it was so new to him. The night guards at the attraction knew they were up against the beast, it was like being throw a bone. Now, Springtrap got to catch his prey. It was incredible.

Springtrap continued forward, his body outline now visible from the TV. Oil dripped from his mouth, his fingers were taunt. He had never been this intense. This was almost orgasmic. He clicked his jaw.

He was in front of the sleeping body now, his large frame casting a shadow over them. The person mumbled something and then rolled over from the sudden shadow over their face. Springtrap cocked his head to the side, the predator now begging to be let off this masochistic leash - to the let blood pour once more! Oh, how it would! He lowered himself to be eye to eye with his prey, and noticed their long hair. A female? Springtrap's eyes rolled back, oil still dripping from his wide muzzle. A female, a fawn has come to the lonely, hungry wolf? An introductory prize into the gates of Hell? What had he done, who had he pleased to be spoiled so finely?

Springtrap savored this, how could he not? Tenderly, he brushed the hair from the woman's face, to admire her fully. She was beautiful, just as he expected. Her small face scrunched up at his poisonous touch, and he quickly retracted his hand, in vain.

She groggily arose from her slumber and weakly open her eyes. Springtrap tensed, ready to seize her by her neck should she panic. But he wanted to see what his beautiful little fawn would do, waking up in the wolves' den. She stared at him for a little while, clearly not fully aware of her surroundings. Springtrap stared back intensely. Instead of screaming, she sleepingly… smiled? Springtrap was confused, he didn't understand. His ear twitched.

"Heyyyyyyy, bunny." The woman said quietly. "We picked you up today, what're you doing out?" She giggled.

Springtrap just looked at the strange woman... Did she think she was dreaming?

She reached out at rubbed the top of his head affectionately. Springtrap flinched. "You're a little old, but you're still kind of cute…. Alex thinks I bought you for him but.." she looked around, leaned in and whispered, "but I really bought you for me! I saw you and thought you were absolutely perfect! No offense though… b-but… I need to give you a bath later, you're pretty smelly." She pinched her nose and giggled. Springtrap was dumbfounded. He searched for words, but found none. Should he end her here? No… it seemed… unfair? He was confused, the predator in him silent; perhaps it too was confused.

Springtrap opened and closed his mouth before speaking, unsure of what to say.

" **Yes… I would like a bath, t-thank you. Come, let's go bac-k-k to sleep."** He cooed gently. She yawned and nodded clumsily. He gently pushed her back down by her chest and she sighed in contentment. Before he could pull his hand away, she turned over and pulled his hand into her closer, nuzzling it with her face. Springtrap allowed her to do this till she fell into a deep sleep, before gently pulling his hand back. Thoroughly confused and surprised, Springtrap blinked twice at the woman sleeping in front of him before standing up and backing away. He glanced at the TV and turned it off, before slinking back into the darkness and out of the house.

He looked around at the house around him and sighed. Perhaps tomorrow night he would regain his freedom, but for now, he just needed a minute. He ventured back into the shed, where the little frog greeted him like an old friend. He walked past and sat down on the bed dolly where he started. He listened to the crickets and tried to fall asleep but couldn't shake the feeling, the thought…

 _What was that?_


	3. Dreaming

The Sun was gently peeking into the shed now. Birds were ruffling their feathers in the trees outside, warming up their soft voices for the songs of the day. The sky was a warm pink; the aggression of summer was not yet awake. Alexander rolled over, sleepily staring out the window next to his bed. He sighed and stretched, his hands seeking the warmth of his love, but came up empty. Confused, he sat up and looked around the room.

"Isabella...?" he called.

After receiving no response, he lazily stumbled out of bed, trudging down the stairs. He found her laid out on the sofa, snoring. He smiled and shook his head, walking towards her.

"Bella..." he whispered playfully, "Bellllla..." he tiptoed towards her, his fingers posed like twitched claws, ready to tickle her.

He approached silently, confident in his attack, when suddenly, his foot slid on a liquid and he came crashing down. He hit the floor with a loud thud, waking Isabella in the process.

"Huhhnn?" she moaned out, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Ow, shit... What was that?" Alex mumbled, rubbing his now sore pelvis. He searched the floor for the liquid, finding a dark sticky substance on their hard wood floors. He ran his finger through it, and touched his pointer finger and thumb together, then back apart, stretching the liquid. His brow furrowed... cautiously, he brought his hand to his face and sniffed the liquid.

"This is oil..." Alex murmured dubiously. "When did you spill oil?" Isabella shrugged in response, clearly not listening to whatever it was Alex had to say this early in the morning. Alex let it go and just assumed it got on their clothes the day before and cleaned it up. When he looked up from the mess, there was already a trail of clothes leading to the bathroom and he heard Isabella start the shower. He followed her in, longing to be with her.

After a nice shower and a breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes, Isabella was ready for work. They walked outside together, Alexander seeing her off. They kissed and she piled into the Jeep, not to be seen till that evening.

Now alone, Alexander sighed. He hoped to make progress today. Tangible progress.

He walked into the shed and pulled up the large car door at the front of the shed. Light flooded in, and he turned around to decide what to work on today. As soon as he posed the question, the answer appeared. Of course, the rabbit!

It lay right where they left it last night. Now that the initial shock was gone, Alexander could see how beat up the thing really was. Rat-eaten holes littered the animal's fur, rust infected its joints and it smelled _awful._ He had quite a bit of work ahead of him if he wanted to get this robot show ready… or at least, presentable.

He decided he would start with the legs. They were already lacking the costume's feet and looked… worn? Alex hesitated ever so slightly, why did metal base of the feet looked like they had been walked on quite regularly? Weird.

He pulled off the costume fur from the legs and got to work. The metal was coated in some weird dried liquid and there was debris all throughout the limbs. This rabbit has not been cared for in what looked like 20 years, at least. Alex took a steel wool pad and scrubbed the neglected bot, feeling pride that after all this time, at least it was getting cared for now. He must've been doing something right, he thought with a smile, because he swore he saw a finger twitch from the big lapin. After some deep cleaning and simple part replacing, he put the fur back on the bunny. He wanted to see if it could stand and support its weight better now, or if it even turned on. Alex rounded the dolly and grabbed the rabbit's hands with his own and bent his knees, trying to pull the rabbit up like he would a person. Groaning and struggling, it seemed immovable alone, it weighed easily 600-700 pounds. Alex wiped the newly formed sweat from his forehead and huffed, rolling his eyes. The heat didn't help, that's for sure. But he had to keep trying.

Once more grabbing the bunny's large hands, he heaved. And the robot stood up. Alex's eyes grew wide as the bot was lifted from the dolly. The robot felt almost weightless in this attempt, like someone had lifted it for him. Alex smiled in triumph.

It was huge, tall and almost menacing, but underneath the gruff appearance, Alex saw a wonderful base. It just needed a little TLC.

 _Now, how do I activate this thing?_ Alex wondered to himself. It stood with its large jaw hanging open, head hung over its chest. Alex frowned upon examining the broken right ear, it looked like a painful injury, even for a machine. He rounded the machine and looked for some type of switch to turn the animatronic on.

This was hard for Springtrap. He felt a slight conflict. This human, whoever it was, roaming his body and tending to him was showing him an act of kindness that he hadn't experienced in a while. Should he do the same and not snatch his life away? He could not decide right away. He would play this out.

Springtrap tended to the man's ponderous curiosity and 'activated.' He wiggled his fingers, closed his mouth and blinked a few times to signify his awakening. Alex gasped at the sight, taking a hesitant step back.

"Y-You work…?" Alex couldn't believe this. This ancient rabbit animated in front of him, as if it had just awoken from an eternal sleep. He watched, mesmerized.

Springtrap knew not to give him too much. If this stranger knew how he really worked, that would surely be his downfall. Instead, he decided to perform a song like he had once been programmed to do. He had not performed in years, decades really, and the thought made him a little uneasy, but he continued.

The rabbit straightened his posture and lifted one arm in a wave, while the upper half of his body swiveled in a half circle, as if he were greeting a crowd of adoring children.

" **H-hey kids! I hope you're r-r-ready for a realllllyyy r-rockin' show today!"** Springtrap sputtered, his decaying voice box not used to such a sing-song tone and strain. **"It looks like we h-have a really g-great crowd today! But the band-d, we need your h-help!"** He turned to Alex for the first time. **"Y-you there! What's your n-name, k-kiddo?"**

Alex gasped as the animatronic addressed him directly. How did he know he was even standing there?

"My name is Alex…" he answered in awe.

" **A-Alex, is it? W-welcome kiddy! S-Say, you think you c-c-could help the b-band out?"**

Alex nodded, unsure of what was coming next. And just like the robot had inhaled the air of life, it was like he exhaled and the life left him. He went limp and silent.

Alex stood there, baffled. Inspired now more than ever to continue his work, he returned to his repairs. He focused on the animatronics rusted and aged joints and limbs. They squeezed and grinded in a teeth gritting kind of way, but by the time Alex was done they glided easily and with new found agility. All the old replaced parts from the robot's body laid next to him. After replacing the rabbit's ancient legs and some of his arms, Alex took a much-needed break to step away and admire his progress. He stepped outside, once again lighting a cigarette and taking in the sunset in front of him. The air had cooled significantly and birds were singing their final songs of the day.

Alex thought back to the robot in the shop. It seemed so ancient and outdated but at the same time, it seemed complex and fluid. It amazed him. The technology, the processing, the intelligence of the robot was something worth exploring, understanding and utilizing.

As Alex ground out his cig with his boot in the dirt, Isabella pulled into the driveway, finally returning from work. Alex smiled at her through the windshield and approached the car to greet her. She opened the door but ignored his greeting, immediately opening the back door and pulling out some bags.

"Gone grocery shopping?" Alex inquired.

"No- well, not exactly. I did some shopping, but for _him."_ Isabella threw her head towards the shed. Alex's brow furrowed.

"F-… For the _rabbit?"_ He asked dubiously.

"Mhmmm~" She replied in a hum. "I'm going to give him a bath!" She giggled but gliding off to the shed to set all the bags down. Alex rolled his eyes and chuckled. As much as she was an adult, Isabella was still a child at heart. _Well fair enough, I suppose,_ Alex though, _I've had him all day, I'm sure the lovely lady would be a nice change of pace for him._

Leaving Isabella to have her fun, Alex walked inside to take a hot shower and get dinner started.

Isabella, giddy to have time with the toy, hastily changed into some running shorts and a tank top, throwing her hair in a ponytail. She didn't mind getting some water on her but wanted as little laundry as possible.

Now properly dressed and equipped, she took in her bunny friend. His fur was rotten and neglected, splotched with oil, dirt and age, but he was still brilliant. She approached him, and Pete jumped twice suddenly, causing her to jump.

"Damn it, nearly gave me a heart attack." She scolded.

Filling a bucket with warm water and a fabric shampoo, she got to work. She started with his chest. It had holes eaten all through out, and clearly had not been washed since the robot was built. Her heart ache for her bunny friend, why was he not treated better? He didn't deserve the neglect.

It dirt wouldn't fully come off, it would take at least 2 or 3 more baths, but it was a huge improvement. She washed him tenderly and with care, making soft circles in his fur. She moved upwards to his large wide face, tilting his face up towards the ceiling and scrubbing under his neck. She then centered his head and cleaned his face off, especially his wide grin and his ears.

Isabella took a second to wring out the sponge and note her progress. He was sopping wet like a dog, but looked quite handsome when a bit cleaned up. She smiled and pressed on.

Next was his arms. They moved much easier now, and she mentally admired Alex's work and his talent with machinery. She had developed a rhythm now and moved faster. As she neared his hands, she slowed again, though. She flatted his large hands out and cleaned them tenderly and bent each finger to make sure each one was cleaned. As she gently scrubbed the palm, the rabbit's fingers suddenly encased hers. She gasped loudly, and would have fallen backwards if not for the grip on her hand. Isabella's breath shook in her chest, her eyes shakily traveled up the robot's body, hesitant to meet its eyes. After a moment, though, Isabella looked into the rabbit's face and saw two steel orbs staring back at her with intelligence and presence. It was a striking contrast when it's eyes were closed just a moment ago.

Slowly, the rabbit brought a single finger to his wide grin, as if he had the power to muffle the scream building in Isabella's throat if she didn't comply.

" _ **P-please**_ **…"** The rabbit closed his eyes, stressing his plead, **"Please… do n-not scream. I w-will not hurt you, i-if you do n-not give me a reason to."** His voice was hoarse and dry, as if he hadn't spoken in ages.

Isabella nodded frantically, dumb struck by what was happening.

" **Where am I? W-who are you?"**

"Y-y-you're in my shed, I'm Isabella," she replied shakily, "I was cleaning you, I wasn't trying to hurt you."

Springtrap chuckled lightly at her claim, but did not release her hand. **"I know you… You promised me just the other night that you would."** Springtrap stared at her inquisitively, warmed by her fulfilled promise. Isabella's brow furrowed at that comment, her mind forgetting for a moment of the seemingly living robot in front of her, searching for the moment in time he spoke of. The memory was foggy and unfocused, but she remembered what he was talking about… she thought it was a dream…

Her lips parted, her brain racking for a tangible response, but failing. The rabbit's metallic gaze continued to bore into her relentlessly, like a big cat's. Just outside, she could hear the back door opening then closing, signaling Alex was coming into the shed. Her head shot towards the direction of the sound.

Alex! Alex could help her. She just needed a way to - the grip on her hand tightened like a vice. Her head whipped around to the robot and his gaze was much less inviting. It was cold, authoritative and merciless.

" **Don't."**

The warning was low, but the venom dripping from it was almost physical. Isabella's face drained of blood, her tongue flapping in her mouth from pure shock and fear. Her glance jumped from the rabbit and the door where Alex would be appearing any second.

Alex's feet could be heard now. Suddenly, the painful grasp was gone and when Isabella turned, the rabbit was slack and in the same position he was in before all of this started. Isabella sat in a stupor, eyes wide with disbelief and white-faced. Alex walked into the room, a smile to greet her. That smile soon faded, replace with worry as Alex rushed over to her, placing a palm on her forehead and a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright, sweetheart? You look like you're going to be sick." Alex asked her worriedly.

"Y-yeah… it's just that... that _thing_ grabbed me!" She looked into Alex's eyes with desperation, hoping he would believe her. His eyebrow raised in response and eyed the stone-still animatronic.

"The… _rabbit…_ grabbed you?" He asked dubiously. She scoffed and rolled her eyes, getting up and striding across the shed to build distance from the grabby 'bot.

"YES, the ROBOT grabbed me! He TALKED to me! I don't know WHAT exactly we bought, but we're taking it back!" She answered, frustration and fear coloring her voice.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" Alex challenged, clearly not as sold on throwing his newest toy away. "Calm down, Isabella. Let me have a look at it, it might've malfunctioned. A lot of its parts seem to be working still, surprisingly."

Isabella just hissed in response, practically running into the house and slamming the door behind her. Alex called after her but she didn't even falter in her stride.

Sighing, Alex put his arms on top of his head and laced his fingers together, staring at the rabbit.

" _What exactly did you do…?"_ He whispered into the air, puzzled by his love's reaction. The bucket of shampoo and soap still sat next to him. Alex closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose, figuring it would be better to comfort Isabella than to check on the robot. He trudged to the house, still confused on what happened in the first place.

 **~!~!~**

She told. He was sitting right behind her, and she still told. They usually do. When you show them mercy, they will take that mercy as an excuse to believe they are safe. Springtrap sat there, still, for hours. It was quiet, just like the night before. Crickets chirped, the wind danced lightly outside.

In truth, he didn't want to get up. He didn't want to get up, because if he did, that meant he needed to go in that house and kill the two people who tried to patch him up. He felt like a wolf who hunted an elderly couple in the countryside, not a refined and lethal predator. It needed to be done though, if he wanted to be truly free. They would be collateral, not something he would relish in. That seemed fair.

He rose to his feet, and Pete greeted him. He didn't nod to Pete this time, instead he pressed forward. He crossed the dusty yard and stood in front of the back door once more. Guilt panged inside him as he turned the knob, he knew he couldn't turn away from this. What a strange juxtaposition to just 24 hours ago.

The kitchen was dark, it seemed like even the Moon was hidden tonight. But something was tingling in Springtrap, the predator inside was beginning to scratch. Springtrap shook his head, resisting the instinct that pressed on his mind.

 _ **It's not that kind of night.**_ He tried to remind himself. He crept in the doorway of the living room, searching the sofa for the woman. She wasn't there and that relieved a small part of Springtrap. He wasn't proud of this. He didn't want to hurt her.

He rounded the corner, and looked up at the staircase. It would take some effort to climb them _quietly,_ even with his new joints. He apprehensively placed his foot on the first step. It accommodated his weight well, and one at a time he slowly climbed the wooden staircase. At the top of the stair case, there were 3 rooms. In front of him, a bathroom with hues of grey and muted white in the soft light of night. To his left, a closed door, like an enigma from the rest of the home, sealed away. And to the right, he heard the soft sounds of slumber, light breathing and shuffling under the sheets.

Springtrap twitched his ear, the knot in his stomach giving him an inexplicable feeling.

Isabella rolled restlessly, unable to sleep peacefully. Her body felt disconnected from her mind. Her brain surged with so many thoughts, constantly pinging from the rabbit to Alex. She heard a creaking down the hall and shot up immediately, listening intensely. A moment later the creaking came again, closer now. Isabella threw the sheets off herself hastily and tried to shake Alex awake.

"Alex… Alex wake up!" She hissed, shaking him roughly. "Alexander! Wake up! There's something in the house!" She urged frantically. Alex didn't respond to her, only rolling over and burying himself deeper into the bed.

 _Am I dreaming again…?_ Isabella thought to herself. It didn't seem like she fell asleep deep enough to dream at any point during the night, but Alex wasn't responding. There was only one way to find out.

Isabella swung her legs around to floor and took into a deep breath.

 _This. Is. Just. A. Dream._

With a feeble new found confidence, she stood up. The creaking continued every so often, making her spine tingle with fear. Isabella rounded the bed, stopping just before the doorway. As much as she tried to pound into her brain that this was just dream, her body didn't believe her. She couldn't make herself peek into the hallway.

 _Oh, just do it so you can prove yourself right and have some peace of mind!_

She stepped into the doorway triumphally, as if she won the victory over her own fears. But she was wrong.

In the hallway, bathed in the moonlight from the window in the bathroom, was the rabbit.

It's piercing silver irises moved all over, him sizing up and analyzing her. His head cocked to the side at her suddenly appearance but something in his posture changed. It went from neutral to… aggressive, ready to pounce. A liquid began dripping from his muzzle as he stared at her, unmoving and silent. Isabella would've screamed if she could breathe. She fumbled backwards, crawling backwards in fear. The rabbit once again put a finger to his menacing, insane grin, and stepped forward, cooing,

" **Shhh… Come here, sweet one. You've done a very bad thing, haven't you?"**


End file.
